Three Chico fraternity members will be charged today in connection with the drinking death of an 18-year-old student from Palo Alto last year, a prosecutor said yesterday.

Adrian Heideman, an 18-year-old fraternity pledge at California State University at Chico, was found dead Oct. 7 at the Rio Chico Way house used by the Chico chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. An autopsy showed that Heideman had a blood alcohol content of 0.37 percent, and had died of alcohol- related asphyxiation.

Other members later said that Heideman was seen drinking large amounts of blackberry brandy during a fraternity ceremony the night he died, but they insisted that he was not forced to drink, according to prosecutors and police.

Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said yesterday that he will charge Brandon Bettar, Richard De Luna, and Sam Dobbyn -- all 21 -- with furnishing alcohol to a minor causing death, a misdemeanor that carries a possible penalty of a year in county jail or a $1,000 fine.

Bettar was president of the fraternity at the time of Heideman's death, Ramsey said, and De Luna was the fraternity "chaplain" in charge of ceremonies,

and Dobbyn allegedly bought the blackberry brandy Heideman drank.

Dobbyn's attorney, Johnny Griffin, said yesterday that the charges were well reasoned and that he expected the matter to be resolved quickly. Griffin said his client felt responsibility for Heideman's death.

"Although he didn't do it intentionally, purposely, he recognizes his conduct was one of the links in the chain that resulted in the death of another human being," he said. "This has been a nightmare for him, and he's never been in trouble with the law and in his wildest dreams never thought drinking could cause this kind of tragedy."

Ramsey, who had considered felony charges of involuntary manslaughter against the three, said he opted for the misdemeanors because they fit the crime better and because of the "extreme remorse" and cooperation the three showed during the investigation.

Ramsey said he also had planned involuntary-manslaughter charges against the fraternity organization, saying alcohol events have been taking place there for decades. He was stymied by a state law allowing charges to be filed only against organizations that are incorporated.

Although the Pi Kappa Phi organization will not face charges, fraternity officials said in a statement that they will work with law enforcement and university officials to "develop new university-based programs, which would hopefully reduce the likelihood of another parent losing another child because of alcohol consumption."

Ramsey said the program would feature campus billboards warning against binge drinking with the tag line, "In memory of Adrian Heideman by his Pi Kappa Phi brothers."

Edith Heideman, still struggling under the burden of her only son's death, said yesterday that she felt her son would approve of seeing his name used in such a positive manner.

Heideman also said that although the actions by Ramsey and the fraternity do not bring her closure or solace, she still believes that her son's fraternity brothers loved him and welcomed him, and did not mean him harm.

"They were good boys who didn't know better, who were ignorant, who were all drunk, who were busy watching a live strip show and weren't capable of being responsible for Adrian that night," she said. "No matter what charges are brought against anyone, it will not bring my son back."